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Patlıcan musakka
Patlıcan musakka: Turkish stovetop layers of fried aubergine and spiced mince in tomato sauce, no béchamel
Turkish musakka has little in common with the Greek bake: there is no béchamel and no potato, just fried aubergine and a mince sauce with peppers and tomato, layered in a pan and simmered until the aubergine melts. It is a summer favourite in home kitchens from İzmir to Ankara, served warm with rice pilaf and a bowl of cacık. Salting and draining the aubergine stops it drinking too much oil. Common mistake: frying the aubergine pale; it needs to be properly golden or it turns slimy in the sauce. Chef's tip: bake the aubergine slices brushed with oil at 220 °C instead of frying if you want a lighter dish.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the aubergines
For the meat sauce
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Sprinkle 3 aubergines with 1 tbsp salt, leave for 30 minutes, then rinse and pat completely dry.
30 minStep 2: Heat ¾ cup sunflower oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat and fry the aubergines in batches for 2–3 minutes a side, until deep golden. Drain on kitchen paper. Common mistake: taking them out pale, which makes the dish slimy.
15 minStep 3: In a wide pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and fry 14 oz beef or lamb mince over a high heat for 6 minutes, breaking it up, until browned.
6 minStep 4: Add 1 onion, 2 long green peppers and 2 cloves garlic and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in 1 tbsp tomato paste, then 3 tomatoes, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper and 1 tsp pul biber (Aleppo chilli flakes) and simmer for 5 minutes.
10 minStep 5: Lay half the aubergines in a wide shallow pan, spread over the meat sauce, cover with the remaining aubergine and top with the sliced tomato.
Step 6: Pour 1 cup hot water around the edge, cover and simmer over a low heat for 20 minutes, until the aubergine is meltingly soft, the sauce has thickened and the mince is cooked through (160°F).
20 minStep 7: Rest for 10 minutes and serve warm with rice pilaf and yoghurt.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 24 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 34 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does patlıcan musakka take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 45 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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